Lock for the closure of burial-vaults.



` F. L. WMHARTENBY.v Lock Fon THE closunfs or BumAL vAuLTs.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1918.

Patented Dec. 17,1918.

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F. L. WHARTENBY.

LocK Fon THE cLosuEs or BURIAL vAuLTs.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5 1913.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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not serve alone to FRANK LESLIE WHABTENBY, OF GALION,

OHIO.

LOCK '.EOR THE CLOSURES OF BURIAL-VAULTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Dec. 17, 1918.'

Application filed March 5, 1918. Serial No. 220,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK Lastre WHAR- frnNr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for the Closures of Burial-Vaults, of which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in burial vaults and more particularly to an improved locking and binding device for the closures of such vaults. The primary object of the present invention is to provide combined locking and binding device which will serve to secure the closure for the vault in position in such manner as to render the vault air and water-tight and also burglar proof.

Various ployed for the purpose the closures of metallic burial vaults and a well known type of such devices includes locking bolt members which are designed to be simultaneously shot into place through the rotation of a spindle by the application to the spindle of Va wrench or the like applied eXteriorly of the closure. While such devices are generally adapted to securely lock the closure against removal. practically all of such devices possess the disadvantage of being incapable of locking or binding the closure in place in a manner -to render the vaultv absolutely air and watertight- As stated the locking bolt members are designed ordinarily to be shot into place through the rotation of a spindle by the application to said Spindle of a wrench or similar tool, and the locking bolt members are provided with elements which engage keepers upon the vault closure and seat behind a. flange located immediately inwardly of the receiving opening of the vault. However, even with the application of considerable force in the rotation of the spindle 'to shoot the locking bolt members into locking position, it has been found that the engagement of these members with their respective keepers canso tightly `draw the clodevices have heretofore been emof securing 1n place ysure into position within the receiving opening as to cause its edges to press against the packing usually provided upon the flange above mentioned, in a manner to absolutely seal the vault at the said opening. The present invention, therefore, has as one of its primary aims to provide, in a vault closure locking device of this general type, means whereby the spindle may be so adjusted, aside from its rotary adjustment, as to cause the locking members to exert leverage between the flange above-mentioned and the keepers sol that after the locking bolt mem bers have been shot into engagement with their keepers, this further adjustment of the spindle may be accomplished so as to cause the lever action of the locking members against the keepers as above stated and thereby pull inwardly with great force upon the keepers to cause the edges oi' the inner face of the vault closure to eXert great compressive force against the packing strip upon the seating flange which surrounds the receiving opening in the vault. Thus not only is the closure securely locked in position, but it is forcibly drawn inwardly so as to' absolutely seal the vault.

The invention also aims, as above stated, to so construct the locking device that it will serve to positively preclude removal of the closure after having been once locked in place, thereby rendering'the vault burglarproof. l

Aanother aim of the invention is to provide a simple and yet highly etlicient means for holding and guiding the locking bolt members in their assembled relation with the spindle and vault closure so as to permit of both the sliding movement of the bolt members into locking position and the canting thereof when they are adjusted i leverage as above mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the de,- vice embodying the present invention, the vault being shown in vertical transverse section and the locking bolt members being shown in locking position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the locking bolt members shot into engagement with their keepers but also illustrating the parts in the positions which they will occupy prior to the adiustment of the spindle to cause the said bolt members to exert leverage against their keepers.

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4l is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the spindle adjusted so as to cause the bolt members to exert leverage against their keepers.

The vault body is indicated in general by to eXert signed to be closed by means of a closure 3 mation, the heads, however,

preferably in the nature of a plate of the required size and shape to fit within the said opening. .The walls of the vault body are provided or formed upon their inner surfaces immediately inwardly of the opening 2 with ay continuous inwardly projecting seating flange 4 against the outer face of which is disposed a packing strip or gasket 5 of any suitable material such, for example, as rubber or leather. l/Vhile the device of the present invention is herein illustrated and described as applied to a closure located alt one end of the vault body, it will be understood that the device of the invention may be employed in locking in place aclosure fitted within an opening in the top of the vault or in either side thereof. rlhe flange 4 is formed at suitable intervals with openings or slots 6 which receive the keeper elements upon the closure .f5 when the closure is fitted into place with its margin at its inner face resting against the packing strip 5, these keeper elements being indicated by the numeral 7 and being preferably of the form shown inthe drawings and each including spaced side portions riveted or otherwise secured to the closure 3, and a connecting' portion which, when the closure has been fitted into place, occupies a position spaced inwardly from the inner face of the Harige Ll, as clearly shown in l? ig. 2 of the drawings. .As the keepers 7 are arranged in series extending along the two side walls, the bottom, and the top of 'the closure, four of the locking bolt membre are employed, as shown in F ig. 1 of the drawings. These locking bolt members are .indicated inv general by the numerals 8, 9, 10 and 11, and each of the said members comprises a head 12 of any suitable conforbeing preferably somewhat frame-like so as to economize in material and yet be sufficiently strong to perform their lockingfunction. The head of the bolt member 8 is designed to be moved toward and away from the upper side of the receiving opening of the vault; the head of the member 9 is designed to be moved toward and away from the lower side of the said opening; and, the heads of the members 10 and 11 are designed to be moved toward and away from the opposite sides of the opening and each head is providedl at its outer edge or side with a number of locking fingers indicated by the numeral 13 which fingers are designed to engage with the respective ones of the keepers 7, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the fingers 13 in their locking engagement with the keepers, seating between the connecting portions of the keepers and the inner face of the flange 4 as best illustrated in Fig. 2. In order that the fingers may have wedging engagement between these parts and thus serve, as the bolt members are shot intolocking position, to exert a pull inwardly upon the keepers and, consefluently, upon the closure 3, each finger has its outwardly presented face, or in other words, that .face which is presented toward the flange 4, beveled as indicated by the numeral 14. However, the fingers may be of some other suitable wedge formation'if found desirable. ln the present instance as the locking members are shot outwardly through the rotation of.' the spindle, as will be presently the fingers will ride against the inner face of the flange 4 and, consequently, the opposite faces of the fingers will be caused to bear more firmly against the connecting portions of the keeper mem-bers as the said bolt members are forced outwardly. ln order to guide the bolt members in their sliding movements and also to assist in holding the members in proper position upon the inner face of the closure 15 are formed or secured upon the said inner face of the closure plate 3, and guiding screws 16 are threaded into the inner ends of these bolts or bosses and extend through slots 17 formed in suitable portions of the heads of the several bolt members 8, 9, 10 and 11. Preferably two parallel slots Il? are formed in the head of each of the holt members so as to more effectually guide the said members as they are slid into and ont of locking position. lt will be observed, howf ever. by reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the described, the inclined faces ofv 3, short posts or bosses drawings that the portions of the screws 1G which are engaged by the walls ofthe slots 17, are of a length greater than the thickness of the heads of the locking bolt Vmembers in which the slots are formed so that the said locking bolt members .may have lanting movement in addition to the sliding movement given them through rotation of the spindle heretofore referred to.

The spindle heretofore referred to is indicated by the numeral 18 and the said spindie is rotatably and longitudinally slidably mounted in an opening 19 formed through 'the closure 3. Substantially at its inner end, the spindle has formed or fixed thereon a gear 20 which is relatively broad, and the heads of the bolt member 8, 9, 10 and 11 are provided respectively with shanks 21, 22. and :24 which extend from the inner ones of the said heads, the 'shanks 21 and S22 extending vertically lthe gear 2O and the Shanks 24 and 23 extending respectively above and below said gear. The several Shanks are formed each with a rack25 and the several racks mesh with the gear 2O in th emanner clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. In order to hold `at'opposite sides of y the shanks 23 and 24 in position with the racks meshing with the gear 20, a guide yoke is provided and the said yoke is preterably formed from a plate 26 having its ends turned at right angles as at 27, the plate being disposed yagainst the inwardly presented sides of the said shanks 23 and 24 with its ends extending respectively beplate 26. For a purpose 'to 4low and above the lower and upper edges ot' the shanks 23 and 24. rlhe plate is formed between its ends with `an opening 28 receiving the end ot' the spindle 18 inwardly of the gear 20, and a screw or the like 29 is 'fitted into the end of the spindle and has interposed between it and the said plate one or more washers 30, the plate being in this manner held assembled with the spindle and in position to guide the shanks 23 and 24. A similar plate 31 is also fitted onto the spindle 1.8 between the gear 2O and the closure 3 and against the adjacent faces of the shanks'21 and 22 and this plate has angularly bent ends 32 which engage the outwardly presented lateral edges of the said shanks and serve to guide the shanks in the manner above stated with regard to the be presently eX- plained, a relatively heavy bowed leaf spring 33 is provided between its ends with an opening 34 which adapts 4it to -be litted upon the spindle 18, and the intermediate portion of this spring bears against the plate 31 and serves to hold the same in guiding position with relation tothe shanks 21 and 22, and the ends of the said spring bear against the inner face of the closure 3. In order to limit the inward movement of the spindle 18 under the influence of the spring 33, the spindle is increased in diameter adjacent its outer end and exteriorly of the closure 3thus Jforming a shoulder 35 which bears against the outer face of the closure 3 for the purpose stated. The enlarged portion of the spindle is threaded as indicated by the numeral 36 and the outer end of the spindle is et polygonal form for the application of a suitable wrench, as indicated by the numeral 37. It will now be apparent that normally the spring 33 holds the spindle 18 moved inwardly through the opening 19 with lthe shoulder 35 bearing against the outer face of the closure 3 but that the spring 33 may yield to permit of longitudinal slid ing movement of the spindle 18 in an outward direction through the said opening. The wrench employed in connection with the locking device is indicated in general by the numeral 38 and the same is provided at one end with a head 39 having a polygonal opening 40 to tit the polygonal end 37 ot the spindle 18, and the said head is provided inwardly of the opening 40 with a larger polygonal socket 41 which is designed to receive a polygonal head 42 Jformed at the outer closed end of a cap 43 which is ining Strip 5,

the spindle 18 is rotated to the bolt members will be 3 ot' the draware in this position the closure 3 may be iitted into place in the receivingend of the vault and against the packing strip 5 upon the liange 4 and with the keeper elements 7 projecting through the slot-s 6 in the said liange, the outer ends of the fingers 13 at such time occupying such a position as to clear the inner edge ot the flange 4, as shown in 'the said Fig. 3. After the closure has been littcd into place and it is desired to permanently lock the same, the handle ot the wrench 38, which handle is indicated by the numeral 45, is grasped and the "wrench is applied to the outer end of the spindle, the polygonal outer end 37 of the said spindle fitted within the opening 40 in the head of the wrench. rlhe wrench is then rotated so as to rotate the spindle 18 and cause the gear 2O to Jforce all of the locking bolt members in an outward direction. As the bolt members are so moved, the beveled faces ot' their iingers 13 will ride against the inner edge of the flange 4, thus drawing inwardly against the closure 3, and these lingers will finally engage between the connecting portions of the keeper elements 7 and the said flange 4. This will, of course, serve to securely lock the closure in place, but as heretoore stated it is desirable that means be provided for securely binding the inner tace of the closure at its margin against the packand in order that this may be accomplished the wrench 38 is disengaged from the spindle and the cap 43 is threaded onto the portion 36 of the spindle until its inner end bears against the outer tace ot the closure 3. By reference t0 Fig. 4 ot the drawings it will be observed that the threaded socket oi' the cap is of a length considerably greater than the length of the threaded portion 36 of the spindle. The wrench is then applied to the polygonal head 42 oli' the cap, the said head being respring 33, and asY the spindle is moved in this manner, the inner ends of the locking bolt members will be moved inwardly toward the closure 3 and the lingers 13, near their points of liuncture with the heads of the respective bolt members, will tulcrum upon the inner face of the flange 4 at the edge thereof and thus leverage will be eX- erted by the inwardly presented faces of the fingers against the connecting portions of the keeper elements. rlhus as the cap 43 is adjusted, great leverage will be exerted against the keeper elements to draw the closure firmly into place against the packing strip 5 thus eldectually sealing the vault in an air and water-tight manner.

In order to prevent the bolt members being retracted after having been once shot into engagement with their keepers, and thus render the vault burglar proof, it is preferable that locking members be provided for coaction with the said bolt members and each of these locking members oomprises a resilient shank 46 riveted or otherwise secured to the inner face of' the .closure 3 and yieldably sprung inwardly toward its free end from the said inner face of the closure. Upon each shank there is provided or formed a head 47 having an inclined inwardly presented face, and an abruptshoulder 48. The locking members above described are located opposite the heads of the bolt members 10 and 11 and each of these heads is formed with an opening 49, one wall 50 of which constitutes a shoulder which is to seat behind the shoulder 48 of the respective locking members after the heads have passed over the inclined faces 47 of the said locking members and their fingers have become engaged in the keeper elements 7.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a burial vault having a receiving opening, of a closure for the said opening, the vault being provided 1nteriorly with a seating` flange for the edges of the closure and the said closure being provided with a keeper element arranged to extend through the flange when the Closure is in position Within the receiving opening, of locking and binding means for the closure including a bolt member having a locking element for engagement between the said flange and the said keeper element, the bolt member being slidably mounted upon the closure and movable into and out of locking position, a rotatable spindle, operative connection between the spindle and the said bolt member for actuating` the latter when the spindle is rotated, and means arranged for coaction with the spindle and closure and adjustable to move the spindle longitudinally outwardly through the closure whereby to cant the bolt member and to cause the locking element to exert leverage from the said ange against the keeper element.

2. The combination with a burial vault having a receiving opening, of a closure for the said opening, the vault being provided interiorly with a seating flange for the edges of' the closure and the said closure being provided with a keeper element arranged to eX- tend through the flange when the closure is in position within the receiving opening, of locking and binding means for the closure including a bolt member having a locking element for engagement between the said flange and the said keeper element, the bolt member being slidably mounted upon the closure and movable into and out of locking position, a rotatable spindle, operative connection between the spindle and the said bolt member for actuating the latter when the spindle is rotated, the spindle having a radially enlarged threaded portion located exteriorly of the closure, and an element having threads engaging the threads upon the spindle and bearing against the said closure and designed when rotated to adjust the spindle longitudinally outwardly through the closure to cant the bolt member and cause its locking element to exert leverage from the said flange against the keeper element.

3. The Acombination with a burial vault having a receiving opening, of a closure for the said opening, the vault being provided interiorly with a seating iange for the edges of the closure and the said closure being provided with a keeper element arranged to extend through the flange when the closure is in position within the receiving opening, of locking and binding means for the closure including a bolt member having a looking element for engagement between the .said flange and the said keeper element, the bolt member being slidably mounted upon the closure and movable into and out of locking position, a rotatable spindle, operative connection between the spindle and the said bolt member for actuating the latter when the spindle is rotated, the spindle being slidable through the closure, means located inwardly of the closure yieldably holding the spindle against outward sliding movement through the closure, and means for adjusting the spindle outwardly through the closure to cant the bolt member and cause its locking element to exert leverage between the said flange and the keeper element.

4. The con'ibination with a burial vault having a' receiving opening, of a closure for the said opening, the vault being provided interiorly with a seating flange for the edges of the closure and the said closure being provided with a keeper element arranged to extend through the flange when the closure is in position within the receiving opening,1of locking and binding means for the closure including a .bolt member having a locking element for engagement between the said flange and the said keeper element, the bolt member being slidably mounted upon the closure and movable into and out of locking position, a spindle rotatably and longitudinally slidably mounted through the closure, operative connection between the spindle and the bolt member for actuating the latter when the spindle is rotated, a spring coacting with the spindle and bearing against the closure and yieldably holding the spindle against movement outwardly through the closure, and means arranged for coaction with the closure and operable to draw the spindle outwardly through the closure against the tension of the said spring whereby to cant the bolt member and cause its locking element to eXert leverage between the said flange and the keeper element.

5. The combination with a burial vault having a receiving opening and a seating flange adjacent the opening, of a closure adapted to seat against said flange, keepers on the closure to project through said flange, bolt members mounted on the closure for Copies of this patent may be obtained for racks on the inner edges of the shank meshl ing with the gear, guide plates hung on the spindle at the ends oi' the gear and passing across the shank and engaging the outer edges of the same,a bowed spring acting at its center against the gear and at its edge against the closure, a screw Xed upon the louter end of the spindle and abutting the closure to limit the inward movement of the spindle, means for rotating the spindle, and means to act on the screw to effect sliding movement of the spindle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' FRANK LESLIE WHARTENBY. [La] ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of iPatents.

Washington, D. G. 

